Hey all! My name is Krystyn Richards. Amanda has graciously allowed me to participate in her Budding Blogging Showcase. I have loved reading the blogs Amanda has posted in the past and I am ecstatic that I have the opportunity to be a part of it.

About Me

I live in the lovely Washington State. My city is situated between the Olympic Mountain range and the Cascade Mountain range. It makes for some beautiful views. I have also been teaching 2nd grade for the last 4 years.

My family and I are really into soccer, specially the Seattle Sounders.

I also love to travel. Last summer I went to Berlin, Prague, and Vienna. It was a wonderful trip. There was so much food to eat and history to learn...which are 2 of my favorite things.

Germany

Prague

Vienna

Favorite Subject

This is a hard question because I love different parts about teaching reading and math for different reasons. For example, I love that moment in reading when the student finally puts all the pieces together and become a reader. It doesn't happen as much in 2nd grade as it does in 1st, but the reaction from the student is alway the same. There is such wonder and excitement on their face when all of the hard work they have been doing pays off. This never fails to remind me why I became a teacher. :)

My Classroom

Someone would see carefully controlled chaos. I am a big promotor of brain breaks. We usually do a couple every day. I try to incorporate as many academic activities that have my students moving around too. I think it is important for students to move around and it prevents some of the behavior problems. One of my favorite units to do with my students is the measuring unit. There are a ton of hands-on activities to help students compare the length of objects as well as comparing different measurement tools. However, my absolute favorite is the activity has students building their own ramps out of cardboard tubes and measuring the distance of a marble they roll down their tubes. They love to see how far their marbles can go. This activity really lends itself to exploration. It's exciting to see how their brain work to discover a different way to make their marble roll further.

One of "those" days

I have a wonderful boyfriend who is my partner in crime. He is a great sounding board and most importantly he makes me laugh. When he can't fix it, usually a glass of wine and a hot bath will. :)

Teaching Resource

I absolutely can't live without Mr Sketch markers and flair pens. Most of the things I get for my classroom are for my students. These are just for me. So it ends up being a treat that I get to use all year long.

Blogging Goals

My goal this year is to be more consistent with my posts on my blog. Last year I was working toward my National Board Certification, so I was unable to blog as much as I wanted. I am hoping to change that this year and I can't wait to get back to it. One of my favorite things about blogging is meeting new people. I would love for you to check out my blog. Click on the picture to take you to my blog.

2 comments

OH how I wish I could have joined you on your trip-sounds wonderful! Measuring is always fun-I love using clay as a medium and then make sculptures to measure-comparing/contrasting, etc. Smiles and stop by anytime!